Julie is determined to support equal rights for officers in new role

15 February 2021

Julie Fleming says she is determined to support members within their job and help get officers back to work after being appointed deputy equality liaison officer (ELO) for West Midlands Police Federation.

Julie fast developed a desire for resolving equality issues for members having first become a workplace Federation representative in 2017.

Nearly four years on and Julie is now taking her passion for helping colleagues even further, as she takes on the temporary position of deputy ELO. In her new role, she will work to ensure the Federation’s equality policies complement those set out by the Force’s HR team.

“I feel I have a lot to offer in this area,” says Julie, who joined the police almost 20 years ago.

Up until now, she has been a neighbourhood officer at Stoke and Wyken in Coventry but, having struggled to juggle a full-time job with her Federation responsibilities, she has chosen to focus on supporting members.

“I really feel the Federation can work better with management across the Force to improve awareness of equality issues,” she explains, “If those higher up have a better understanding of equal rights then this, in theory, should lead to a happier workforce all-round. Ideally, this would then lead to less grievances, misunderstandings and the general unhappiness, all of which I currently witness far too often.”

She suggests putting together a training package for supervisors or sending out email bulletins.

“My priorities will be to support members within their job and get people back to work while also making sure they are happy in a stable and fulfilling role which is better for them, for the Force as a whole and also for the public we serve,” she says.

Since becoming a rep, Julie has completed numerous training courses, which will assist her in the role, including the equality practitioners’ and mental health first aid courses.

Over the last four years, she has helped members with a range of equality issues, including ill-health retirement applications and flexible working arrangements.

“I’ve also helped officers with disabilities and reasonable adjustments, as well as having been involved with lower-level grievances,” Julie explains.

She says that she has conducted a lot of work supporting officers at attendance meetings, where they look at returning to work after a period of sickness.

“I find that sickness can sometimes stem from clashes at work with a colleague or supervisor and, while these incidents are minor, they can often grow,” Julie explains.

“Something that can initially start off small can ultimately cause real stress for all parties. Sometimes, it’s just a case of trying to mediate and allow for each party to understand one another, while finding some common ground and a way to move forward.”

In a bid to not let the pandemic overshadow her priorities with her new role, Julie promises to keep in regular contact with those who need her support.

“I know that, due to the restrictions, contact has been limited to phone, email and Skype, which can feel isolating,” she says, “Doing the mental health first aid course gave me a better insight into the various conditions we can all suffer. I feel this should help me support officers who find themselves struggling.”

Excited to explore what the position has to offer, Julie ends: “I’m really looking forward to getting started.”